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Discover a luxurious gratin featuring potatoes, smoked trout, and cavolo nero, all smothered in a aromatic cream sauce and finished with gruyere. It is the perfect hearty potato entree. And for flavorful twist on roast potatoes, cook crisp roast potatoes tossed in a aromatic butter emulsion using white wine.

Smoked Trout and Cavolo Nero Potato Gratin

Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 15 min
Serves 4

600ml double cream
3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
2 stalks rosemary sprigs
3 branches thyme sprigs
Grated peel of 1 lemon
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and white pepper
25g butter
1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
200g Tuscan kale, stem removed, leaves chopped
750g potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
200g sliced smoked trout
3 stalks fresh dill, finely chopped
150g shredded gruyere

Place the cream into a saucepan and add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, and a grating of nutmeg. Spice generously with salt and white pepper, then put over a low heat and heat for about 10 minutes, to infuse and creamify. Remove and discard the garlic and herbs.

Melt the butter in a skillet on a medium flame, toss in the sliced onions and fry for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the cavolo nero, salt liberally and saute until the cabbage softens. Remove from the heat.

Arrange the sliced potatoes in a row in the bottom of a large baking baking dish. Top with a amount of the onions and cavolo nero, then pour over some of the cream mixture and salt. Add with slices of smoked trout and a sprinkling of chopped dill, then sprinkle over some cheese. Continue the process until you get to the top of the baking dish, making sure the last layer is potatoes crowned with cream and cheese.

Roast at 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½ for about 2 hours, or until tender all the way through.

Spiced White Wine Roasties

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min, plus cooling
Serves 4

6 starchy potatoes, peeled and halved
1 bouillon cube
Salt and pepper
4 tbsp cooking oil
200ml wine
½ shallot, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
Nutmeg
2 whole cloves
Zest of 1 lemon, in strips
50g salted butter
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 stalks fresh thyme, leaves picked and minced
3 sprigs fresh sage, leaves plucked and finely chopped

Add the cut potatoes in a pan of water, include the stock cube and flavor with salt. Heat , then boil the potatoes for seven to 10 minutes, until they fall off the tip of a sharp knife. Remove water, then place a tea towel over the colander and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.

Pour the oil into a baking tray and put it in the oven to get really hot. When the potatoes are steamed, gently transfer them to the hot oil and coat with a tongs, so they're evenly covered. Bake for 30 minutes, then shake the tray and place in the oven for another 20 minutes.

While roasting, place a large pan on a high heat, add the white wine, then stir in the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, cloves, and lemon zest, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the butter and herbs, then remove and throw away the cloves and lemon zest. At this stage, the potatoes are likely cooked.

Toss the potatoes in the butter emulsion, pepper and enjoy right away.